Influence of pulsed electric field and glycerol pretreatments on freeze-thaw process and quality of white radish.

This study focused on the effects of pulsed electric field (PEF) and glycerol (G) pretreatments on the quality of freeze-thawed white radishes. The optimal PEF strength, frequency, and treatment time were 800 V/cm, 5 Hz, and 0.1 s, respectively.

Efficient conversion of lignin fractions in lignocellulose using multifunctional polyoxometalate catalysts.

The efficient catalytic conversion of lignin represents a critical challenge in biomass valorization, primarily due to the inherent difficulty in selectively depolymerizing lignin while maintaining the structural integrity of cellulose and hemicellulose. Herein, we present an innovative approach involving the synthesis of ionic liquid polyoxometalate (IL-POM) catalysts, which integrate both redox-active and Lewis acid sites, and are further modified with a choline chloride monomer. Among the synthesized catalysts, ChHPMoAlVO demonstrated exceptional catalytic performance, achieving an aromatic compound yield of 16.

Evaluation of Inflammatory Activity of Extraocular Muscles in Thyroid Associated Orbitopathy by [Ga]DOTATATE PET/CT.

Purpose: The accurate assessment of inflammatory activity of the extraocular muscles (EOMs) in thyroid associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) is crucial for formulating subsequent treatment strategies and prognostic judgments. This study aims to explore the efficacy of using [Ga]DOTATATE PET/CT to assess the inflammatory activity of EOMs in TAO patients.

Procedures: This study enrolled 22 TAO patients and 6 healthy volunteers, all of whom underwent orbital [Ga]DOTATATE PET/CT.

Spatio-temporal pattern and the evolution of the distributional dynamics of county-level agricultural economic resilience in China.

Because the complexity of the external environment has put great pressure on the agricultural economy, making it vulnerable, it is necessary to promote a system of resilience in the agricultural economy so that Chinese agriculture can continue to persevere in the face of serious external uncertainties. Therefore, this paper investigates the spatio-temporal pattern and evolution of the distributional dynamics of China's county-level agricultural economic resilience based on 2000-2020 data covering 2,545 counties. The results are as follows: first, from 2000 to 2020, the mean value of China's county-level agricultural economic resilience showed an obvious upward trend, which indicates that China's agricultural economy gradually increased its ability to resist risks and continued to develop in a favourable manner.

TCJA-SNN: Temporal-Channel Joint Attention for Spiking Neural Networks.

Spiking neural networks (SNNs) are attracting widespread interest due to their biological plausibility, energy efficiency, and powerful spatiotemporal information representation ability. Given the critical role of attention mechanisms in enhancing neural network performance, the integration of SNNs and attention mechanisms exhibits tremendous potential to deliver energy-efficient and high-performance computing paradigms. In this article, we present a novel temporal-channel joint attention mechanism for SNNs, referred to as TCJA-SNN.

Environmental behavior, human health effect, and pollution control of heavy metal(loid)s toward full life cycle processes.

Heavy metal(loid)s (HMs) have caused serious environmental pollution and health risks. Although the past few years have witnessed the achievements of studies on environmental behavior of HMs, the related toxicity mechanisms, and pollution control, their relationship remains a mystery. Researchers generally focused on one topic independently without comprehensive considerations due to the knowledge gap between environmental science and human health.

Bimetallic polyoxometalates catalysts for efficient lignin depolymerization: Unlocking valuable aromatic compounds from renewable feedstock.

Lignin, a complex and abundant polymer present in lignocellulosic biomass, holds immense potential as a renewable source for the production of valuable aromatic compounds. However, the efficient depolymerization of lignin into these compounds remains a formidable challenge. Here, we present a promising solution by harnessing polyoxometalates (POMs) catalysts, which exhibit improved catalytic performance and selectivity.

Assessing and improving active travel around urban hospitals: A case of Xiangya hospital, China.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, there has been a growing trend toward active travel. However, many cities have not given sufficient attention to active transportation, resulting in inadequate safety measures for pedestrians and cyclists. This issue becomes particularly critical around hospitals, closely associated with COVID-19 and where traffic can be more intricate and hazardous.

Identification of hub genes and potential ceRNA networks of diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM), a common complication of diabetes, is defined as ventricular dysfunction in the absence of underlying heart disease. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs), play a crucial role in the development of DCM. Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) was used to identify key modules in DCM-related pathways.

Effect of Preliminary Treatment by Pulsed Electric Fields and Blanching on the Quality of Fried Sweet Potato Chips.

The effects of pulsed electric fields (PEF) and blanching pretreatments on frying kinetics, oil content, color, texture, acrylamide (AA) content, and microstructure have been investigated in this paper. The total PEF pretreatment duration was t = 0.2 s with an intensity of = 1 kV/cm; blanching was studied at 85 °C for 5 min.

Recent Advances in Application of Polyoxometalates in Lignocellulose Pretreatment and Transformation.

Lignocellulose, composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, holds immense promise as a renewable resource for the production of sustainable chemicals and fuels. Unlocking the full potential of lignocellulose requires efficient pretreatment strategies. In this comprehensive review, efforts were taken to survey the latest developments in polyoxometalates (POMs)-assisted pretreatment and conversion of lignocellulosic biomass.

Monolayer NbSe Favors Ultralow Friction and Super Wear Resistance.

The urgent demand for atomically thin, superlubricating, and super wear-resistant materials in micro/nanoelectromechanical systems has stimulated the research of friction-reducing and antiwear materials. However, the fabrication of subnanometer-thick films with superlubricating and super wear-resistant properties under ambient conditions remains a huge challenge. Herein, high-quality monolayer (ML) NbSe (∼0.

Macroscale Superlubricity with Ultralow Wear and Ultrashort Running-In Period (∼1 s) through Phytic Acid-Based Complex Green Liquid Lubricants.

Liquid superlubricity has attracted much attention, due to its ability to significantly reduce friction on the macroscale. However, the severe wear caused by the long running-in period is still one of the bottlenecks restricting the practical application of liquid superlubricating materials. In this work, the obtained polyethylene glycol-phytic acid (PEG-PA) composite liquid lubricants showed outstanding superlubricating properties (μ ≈ 0.

Surface redox pseudocapacitance boosting Fe/FeC nanoparticles-encapsulated N-doped graphene-like carbon for high-performance capacitive deionization.

The practical application of carbon anode in capacitive deionization (CDI) is greatly hindered by their poor adsorption capacity and co-ion effect. Herein, an N-doped graphene-like carbon (NC) decorated with Fe/FeC nanoparticles composite (Fe/FeC@NC) with large specific surface area and plentiful porosity is fabricated via a facile and scalable method, namely sol-gel method combined with Fe-catalyzed carbonization. As expected, it exhibits superior CDI performance as a Cl-storage electrode, with Cl adsorption capacity as high as 102.

Spinel LiMnO as a Capacitive Deionization Electrode Material with High Desalination Capacity: Experiment and Simulation.

Capacitive deionization (CDI) is a newly developed desalination technology with low energy consumption and environmental friendliness. The surface area restricts the desalination capacities of traditional carbon-based CDI electrodes while battery materials emerge as CDI electrodes with high performances due to the larger electrochemical capacities, but suffer limited production of materials. LiMnO is a massively-produced lithium-ion battery material with a stable spinel structure and a high theoretical specific capacity of 148 mAh·g, revealing a promising candidate for CDI electrode.

Study on slow traffic evaluation method of large hospitals in old urban areas based on Extentics.

Now that the coronavirus epidemic continues, hospitals have made a series of control measures, which makes the already relatively backward, slow traffic system around the large hospitals in the old city face more severe problems. This paper, based on the analysis of the current issues of slow traffic in large hospitals in old urban areas, according to the elements affecting slow traffic and the needs of slow traffic around hospitals, safety, accessibility, diversion, convenience, and comfortableness are used as the first level indicators, the index weights are determined by applying Analytic Hierarchy Process, and the comprehensive evaluation model of slow traffic around large hospitals in the old city is constructed by using Extentics. Through the case study, the scientific and practicality of the method is verified, which provides a scientific way for the safe and efficient operation of the slow traffic system around the large hospitals in the old city under the present epidemic control.

The role of post-translational modifications in driving abnormal cardiovascular complications at high altitude.

The high-altitude environment is characterized by hypobaric hypoxia, low temperatures, low humidity, and high radiation, which is a natural challenge for lowland residents entering. Previous studies have confirmed the acute and chronic effects of high altitude on the cardiovascular systems of lowlanders. Abnormal cardiovascular complications, including pulmonary edema, cardiac hypertrophy and pulmonary arterial hypertension were commonly explored.

Cloud Follow-Up in Patients With Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Devices: A Single-Region Study in China.

Background: Due to seriously imbalanced distribution of follow-up clinics in China, routine in-office visits are erratically attended by many cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) patients. Meanwhile, remote monitoring is significantly underutilized. Novel tools to address the current predicament of routine in-office visits in China is urgently needed.

Low Serum Magnesium Levels Are Associated With Hemorrhagic Transformation After Mechanical Thrombectomy in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Objective: In patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS), hemorrhagic transformation (HT) is a major complication after mechanical thrombectomy (MT). This study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum magnesium levels and HT after MT.

Methods: We collected 199 cases of consecutive AIS that received MT due to acute anterior circulation occlusions in our institution between January 2017 and January 2020.

Carbon Nanoarchitectonics with Bi Nanoparticle Encapsulation for Improved Electrochemical Deionization Performance.

Electrochemical deionization (EDI) is hopefully the next generation of water treatment technology. Bismuth (Bi) is a promising anode material for EDI, due to its high capacity and selectivity toward Cl, but the large volume expansion and severe pulverization aggressively attenuated the EDI cycling performance of Bi electrodes. Herein, carbon-layer-encapsulated nano-Bi composites (Bi@C) were prepared by a simple pyrolysis method using a Bi-based metal-organic framework as a precursor.

Monitoring and Predicting Treatment Response of Extraocular Muscles in Grave's Orbitopathy by Tc-DTPA SPECT/CT.

To investigate single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) for assessing inflammation in the extraocular muscles (EOMs) and predicting the therapeutic efficacy of periocular glucocorticoid therapy (PGT) for Grave's ophthalmopathy (GO). A total of 412 eyes from 206 patients with GO referred for Tc-DTPA orbital SPECT/CT were enrolled. Fourteen age- and gender-matched healthy controls (28 eyes) were included.

Impact of microRNA215p on the growth of thyroid cancer cells via targeting the recombinant sclerostin domain containing protein 1.

Objectives: To explore the molecular mechanism for thyroid cancer metastasis via analyzing the role of microRNA (miR)-21-5p and its target gene recombinant sclerostin domain containing protein 1 (SOSTDC1) in thyroid cancer.

Methods: The target miR-21-5p was screened through bioinformatics analysis and cell verification, and the thyroid cancer cell lines was transfected with miR-21-5p inhibitor. 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) test, flow cytometry, and cell scratch test were used to detect the proliferation, apoptosis and migration of thyroid cancer cells in the miR-21-5p inhibitor group and the inhibitor control group, respectively.

Value of Tc-MIBI SPECT/CT in distinguishing between parathyroid lesions and nodular goiter.

Objectives: Hyperfunctioning parathyroid lesions require surgical resection. Tc-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (Tc-MIBI) single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) plays an important role in the diagnosis of parathyroid lesions. Some nodular goiters have a higher uptake of Tc-MIBI, which is difficult to distinguish from hyperfunctioning parathyroid lesions.

Complex effects of moisture conditions and temperature enhanced vegetation growth in the Arid/humid transition zone in Northern China.

Ecosystems in the arid/humid transition zone (AHTZ) of northern China are highly sensitive to climate change and human activities. Accurately assessing the impact of climate change on these ecosystems is important for effectively reducing the risks faced by them under future climate change. In this study, the leaf area index during the selected growing season (LAI) was used as an indicator for vegetation activity.